Passed over these guys a lot because I know of the endurance required to take care of growlers through five hours of bus & train rides. Twelve ounce bottles pack & stack really well in luggage though. A couple of their staples is more then enough to bring home though.

It had very little smell to it. I almost had to get my nose wet to smell anything from it. Pine and citruis notes on what exsists for smell.

It had a unusual taste to me. Different from other IPAs Ive had. A staleish taste. Makes me wonder if I got a bad bottle. It almost tasted like soap straight from the bottle. There was some citrus to the taste, but soap I tasted more.
A little grapefuit aftertaste

Chilled bottle into a glass. An extra courtesy of portia99. Thank you!

A: Pours a clear amber color with half a finger of off-white head that recedes quickly into a collar around the drink and some trace film patches on top of the brew. Quick bubbles up the glass, but not enough to keep a lively head. Has a little bit of lacing during each sip, though.

S: Has some floral and grassy character, with a noticeable caramel and pilsner malt scent. Maybe some bread, too. Not a very pungent nose.

M: Light-to-medium bodied, with low carbonation. Could use a little more bubbly to keep it lively, since the flavors are a bit muted anyway, owing to a watery composition.

D: I'm not too fond of the hop varieties found here, as I prefer more citrus-based flavors. This is a nice example of how East Coast IPAs seem to differ from our West Coast varieties, but I think, all things considered, I prefer the homegrown stuff...

Nutty and leafy aromas with some mild herbal and citric undertones. Bitterness is just fine, but the flavors scream not IPA, but (a hoppy) ESB. Leafy, nutty, oily, toasty and a bit pungent. A touch of grapefruit zest. There's certainly nothing wrong with an IPA that's not all pine and citrus; the malt profile seems to be chiefly the source of style confusion here. Tasty enough, but not something I'd look to for a hops fix.

its only my 2nd time having this beer and its not as good as i remembered it being the only other time i drank it about a year ago. Def a distinctive enough flavor but not particularly outstanding in any way i didnt think. Had on in a glass and another right from the bottle. def better in a glass.

A: Clear, light amber color with little diminishing white foam head.
S: Harsh grain notes with some kind of Trappist undertone The overall effect is suggestive of a hybrid hops bill using both modern (i.e., Amarillo) and traditional (Columbus) American cultivars. A chemical hops quality that is unpleasant.

T: Begins dry, Acidity takes over to where established flavors are still evident; flavor qualities generally become less intense. The finish is mildly bitter and malty with a neutral character of base grain.

M: Thin slightly acidic on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This IPA seems to be assembled for mass appeal; a gateway to the style. It threatens to offend the senses and sensibilities of this student of hops by not supporting the low hop quality with bland malt notes. There will likely be a showdown looming when it hits sports bar draft lines next to Harpoon IPA.

Pours with a cream, three-finger, rocky head that goes slowly to a ring and leaves some lace. Light carbonation and medium bodied. Almost clear amber color. Nose is a fruity hop. Flavor follows the nose with the fruity hoppiness and a bitter finish. Typical IPA. $1.65 for a 12oz bottle from Colonial Spirits, Acton, MA.

Had this beer at a recent homebrew club meeting, the beer pours a amber color with a small white head. the smell is not overly hoppy, but not underhopped. the taste falls away and there is very little hope flavor or bitterness if any. the mouthfeel is medium boddy with moderate carbonation. overall not a good beer, will not buy.

Pours a slightly hazy raw sienna color. 2" head settles down to 1". I can slightly smell the hops, and taste them too, but like I've said lately in other reviews they really just strike me as ordinary IPA, it's not like this stands out of the crowd.

This is petty but I was a litte put-off by the cowboy and stage coach label. Granted this is brewed in a steakhouse but it's in Massachusetts - and since I'm from Kansas I feel a right to question its cowboy pedigree, partner.

A: clouded yellowish gold with caramel edges. The top consisted of foam and fizz that disappeared very fast and left one skinny strip of lace with a few blasts of speckles. Reminds me of a deeper tinged Hefeweizen

S: lemons, tea leaves, and floral notes. Not very pungent, even for minimal standard IPA's. A little more hop shock in the nose would be nice

T: strongest presence is managed by citrus lemony grapefruit hops with big herbal tea flavors. The back end is sort of awry with a artificial sugary lemon flavor. I can also pull out some soft pine notes that cut through. Pale malt profile holds very light biscuity character

M: a solid body profile in the medium category. Comes off creamy at times otherwise it remains smooth

D: I dare to say this bottle was not very fresh...at all. I could see this brew making a good stand in the IPA category, but for now I pass

A - One fingers worth of tightly packed and even creamy tan head... Solid retention... Loads carbonation throughout - starts slow at the bottom and quickly speeds up as it reaches the top... An amberish copper color which is slightly lighter at the bottom and slightly darker at the top...

D - A potent hop assault, especially considering it only weighs in at 6% ABV and the single IPA status... Far from my favorite in the category and probably not something I would reach for in the future, but it is a representation of the style that deserves some consideration for BA near and far...

A: Deep copper with a ruby hue, medium head on a hard pour - 4.00, S: Dry grain aromas, what I do pickup in terms of hops is earthy and herbal, mild for an IPA, without knowing I would guess this is an English IPA rather than an American IPA though I do pick up some grapefruit as the beer warms - 3.00, T: Quite dry and extremely bitter, like the nose the flavor is quite herbal, a little woody, faintest touch of biscuity sweetness, strong grapefruit zest - 3.00, M: Medium bodied - 3.25, D: After reviewing the beer I looked at other reviews and realize my impression is markedly different. This is a apparently an American IPA though everything about it would have lead me to believe otherwise - 3.00

A: Poured a reddish gold color with an off-white head which left behind some lacing. Looked like a nice American IPA.

S: Smell is definitely of citrus hops and pine needles. There's a faint smell of malt, but not enough to stand out over the hops.

T: Taste is not amazing, but rather, less hoppy than I was hoping it to be. I've got to say, it has good balance for an IPA, but not enough IPA hops for me.

M: It's not a heavy brew; medium-bodied with a slight hop burn in the cheeks.

D: I could probably drink a few of these, but would probably move on after one if there were other IPAs or interesting brews available. Not bad, but not the best.

This is the first Opa Opa brew I've had, and my friend claims she has a growler of some Opa Opa product, but doesn't know what it is. (I told her to read the damn label, yet I digress) It was interesting enough to get me to try more Opa Opa, but not interesting enough to make me get it again, amidst a sea of other American IPAs.

An unbalanced beer. Wants to be an IPA, but the strongest point is the malt. Caramel, maybe even some cocoa. Then pine hoppiness, but not enough to cut thru the malt. Too sweet, too unimpressive when it comes to the hops. Decent, but missing some edge to it. Sweet, soft, pine/bitter, sweet again. A weaker IPA.

medium bodied, nothing astringent or having a bite. Missing some carbonation.

Overall, no bad, but there are plenty of much better IPA's out there. The beer fridge consisted of this, Dales Pale Ale and Racer 5. Racer 5 disappeared, then the Dale's. then this. Not a bad 3rd place, but missing alot. An ok brew and a mediocre IPA.

Pours a fairly clear medium golden color with a huge meringue head that prevented me from pouring this in one shot. Smells of citrus and a hint of pine. Heavy on the grapefruit and lemon with a fairly solid bready sweet malt backbone. The flavor follows the aroma bread citrus and pine with a faint hint of wild yeasty phenols. Medium body with a huge amount of carbonation and a slick resinous mouthfeel. Not a bad brew, nothing special, but nothing objectionable either.

D: Not sure I'll be able to polish this growler off tonight. I like the flavor, overall, but it just seems heavy to me. Maybe it's the Kung Pao Chicken that accompanied my first two glasses. Another good beer from Opa squared.

The Opa-Opa IPA is now in bottle form here in Connecticut. I was unaware that this was from the South Hampton location seeing as the bottle says it was brewed in Saratoga,NY. I guess it was contract brewed at Mendocino Brewing Company, but I digress.

Nice hop aroma to start out the glass, a bit of citrus, grapefruit, and a hint of toffee. The head started out nice but then quickly says goodbye. Nice color, very dark gold to amber.

On first taster you get some malt sweetness then BAM! a ton of hops! The hoppiness wains towards the end of the glass, but maybe my taste buds just got totally destroyed? :P

A: Poured from a 12oz. bottle into an Opa Opa IPA holiday pint glass (beer and glass were both Christmas gifts!) Mostly clear, with a pale-straw coloring, a thin white head with a slight froth left on the glass. A touch of haze and effervescence.

S: Bready, with a slight hop finish. Some banana, a little wheat germ, and grass all appear on the nose.

T: This beer has a stronger look than one might outwardly judge. A good malt-forward character, with a hop finish that focuses more on dryness than on flavor. Some notes of metal, booze, raisins, whole grains, rye, and citrus rind appear in the character of the beer. Bitter and bready are the words I would describe this beer.

M: Watery and metallic, this has a tinny, hollow feel to it overall. It does expand a bit in the mouth, but the fore and back are empty. Middling at best.

O: Not a bad beer, and certainly not one I'd turn down if offered, however I wouldn't go out of my way to get one. A perfectly serviceable IPA.

Poured into standard pint glass. (Opa Opa none the less) Poured a nice gold copper with a white foamy head. The head disappeared quickly and left only a ring around the edge. Aroma was slighty bitter at first, but got much better once it completely warmed up. Smelled wheaty, with a hint of citrus. Tasted similar, a wheaty coppery feel. Very easy to drink. Slighty bitter at first, but cleaned up very nicely, went down very smooth in the end.

Pretty malty for an IPA. Got it at a place that was offering Opa growlers cheap, so that has to be factored in. Not as savagely hoppy as many American IPAs. Poured with medium life to it, head was quick but diminished faster, but there is a semi-decent foam clinging to glass. Not bad. Place offers growler for $5.75 so will be back, but I'm thinking that price has affected the full grade here.